Court records show Mr. Rinaldo is also accused of driving under the influence of drugs.

Officers saw Mr. Rinaldo driving near Foster and Front streets around 5 p.m. and learned he didn't have a license to drive.

Initially Mr. Rinaldo pulled over, but he then sped off and drove through red lights, past people in crosswalks and crossed into other lanes, police said.

Officers estimated he was going 50 mph in a 30 mph zone.

When police finally reached him, Mr. Rinaldo appeared to been under the influence of drugs, records said.

"After he crashed I located an uncapped hypodermic syringe that appeared to be recently used on a blanket in the back seat," Officer Christopher Breeds wrote in documents filed in court.

Prescription pills were also in the car, the officer said.

Court records show Mr. Rinaldo was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday on a charge of possession of a stun gun, stemming from an incident on July 27 in Worcester. He did not appear and a default warrant was issued.

In March, Mr. Rinaldo was arrested for trespassing and possession of brass knuckles after police responded to a break-in attempt at Worcester East Middle School on Grafton Street.

Court records show he also fled from police in April and was eventually found hiding in the girders under the Interstate 290 bridge in Shrewsbury.

In Central District Court today, Mr. Rinaldo was held on a total of $950 bail after entering a plea of not guilty.

His lawyer, Alicia M. McKinley, said the stun gun was actually a lighter with a joke zapper on it.

Mr. Rinaldo had a bandage on one hand in court.

WORCESTER — Witnesses say a car being chased by police was going at very high speed when it crashed into a Pleasant Street building Wednesday afternoon.

"They went by like lightning," said Shawn Verdini, who said he saw the Chevrolet Malibu speeding up Pleasant Street, heading toward Park Avenue, around 5:15 p.m.

Mr. Verdini said the black car was traveling at highway speeds, with a police cruiser following about 30 feet behind. He said the Malibu driver apparently tried to make a right turn the wrong way on one-way Sever Street, but lost control and struck the corner of a storefront at 295 Pleasant St.

The force of the impact shattered the shop windows, but did remarkably little damage to the brick facade. The car appeared heavily damaged, and the driver's-side airbag was deployed. Several police cars rushed to the intersection, along with firefighters and paramedics. Mr. Verdini said the police cruiser behind the Malibu was able to stop before the intersection.

Mr. Verdini said the Malibu driver appeared conscious but had blood on his right arm. He said police kept him in the car until he was taken to a local hospital by an ambulance.

Martha Olson was sitting on a bench in front of the apartment tower just up the street, and initially she thought the Chevrolet was an undercover police car as it sped by. She said she didn't hear any screeching of brakes before the accident, just a loud bang when the car hit the building.

Kevin Ksen, a neighborhood resident and activist, was at the Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center on the other side of the building when he heard the crash. He said he was surprised nobody else was hurt. There are always people walking in the area, and a school bus stop is near where the crash occurred. He said it was his understanding that high-speed chases were discouraged as a matter of police policy.

A tow truck dragged the car away from the building around 5:45 p.m., and police left the area soon after.

A tow truck dragged the car away from the building around 5:45 p.m., and police left the area soon after.